THE  HATE  BREEDERS 


THE 
HATE  BREEDERS 


A  DRAMA  OF  WAR  AND  PEACE 
IN  ONE  ACT  AND  FIVE  SCENES 


B, 
EDNAII  AIKKN 

Author  of  Th'e  River 


With  an  Introduction  by  Henri  La  Fontaine,  President 
of  the  International  Bureau  of  Peace 


INDIANAPOLIS 

THE  BOBBS-MERRILL  COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS 


COPYRIGHT  1916 

T«E  BOBBS-MERRILL  COMPANY 

ALL  DRAMATIC  RIGHTS  RESERVED 


PRESS    OP 
BRAUNWORTH   &   CO. 
BOOKBINDERS    AND    PRINT 
BROOKLYN,    N.   Y. 


To  "MY  SON" 
MY  "MAX" 

DOUGLAS  SEDGWICK.  AIKEN 


39GG59 


INTRODUCTION 

Where  does  the  spirit  float  to  on  the  seething  sea  of 
anesthesia?  Does  it  dream,  or  lose  itself,  or  remem 
ber?  The  German  soldier  in  this  play  remembers!  He 
lives  through  his  revolt  against  the  stupendous  stu 
pidity  of  man,  he  relives  his  rebellion  against  the 
tricks  which  lure  men  to  the  brilliant  death — armies 
singing,  armies  cheering  in  a  rapture  of  pride  and 
might,  flags  unfurled  and  waving,  in  a  glory  of  sun 
shine  and  color !  He  passes  again  through  the  grim 
reality,  no  more  a  splendid  picture,  but  a  tragedy  of 
blood  and  groans,  of  remorse  and  death. 

Terrible  in  its  swift  antithesis  the  unusual  and  sug 
gestive  work  before  us,  enriching  American  and  world 
literature  alike,  new  in  the  form  adopted,  new  in  its 
crude  realism,  it  avoids  a  declamatory  tone,  and  re 
mains  human  throughout.  A  nightmare  of  despair ! 

To  the  soldier,  struck  down  in  the  fight,  no  other 
thought  is  conceivable  than  to  escape  by  death  without 
awaking  from  the  hell  into  which  the  entire  world 
seemed  plunged.  What  other  hope  could  he  have,  sur 
rounded  as  he  is  by  sufferings  unspeakable,  himself, 
his  world,  victims !  How  could  he  hope  for  better 
times  when  force  is  worshiped  as  the  almighty  power? 

Logically,  no  idea  can  prevail  in  his  anguished  mind 
but  the  idea  of  annihilation,  the  idea  of  a  collective 
annihilation  of  the  peoples,  of  an  earth  rid  of  men  and 
freed  of  crimes. 

We,  however,  the  bystanders  and  onlookers,  far  off 
or  near  the  terrible  holocaust,  we  to  whom  leisure  is 
allowed  to  ponder  and  speculate,  are  we  unable  to 
draw  another  conclusion?  Are  we  ready  indeed  to 
agree  with  the  maimed  warrior  and  to  support  his 
separate  wish?  Is  death,  for  the  world,  the  goal  of  six 
thousand  years  of  struggle  and  illusion? 


INTRODUCTION 

We  have  subdued  mountains  and  seas,  fire  and  air, 
but  we  have  not  subdued  ourselves.  And  the  earth 
became  a  hell  by  our  common  and  ruthless  will.  And 
the  kings,  emperors  and  rulers  became  the  satraps  of 
death. 

Are  we  bound  forever  to  repeat,  again  and  again, 
that  war  is  war,  that  there  was  always  war,  and  that 
there  will  always  be,  that  men  are  not  masters  of  their 
destinies,  that  freedom  for  the  peoples  is  a  vain  dream, 
that  brotherhood  is  a  farce,  that  races  which  are  long 
ing  for  peace  are  doomed  to  be  slaughtered,  looted, 
crushed  and  killed ;  that  universal  hatred  is  the  normal 
status  of  mankind? 

Such  are  the  questions,  pressing  and  countless  and 
confusing,  which  will  pour  down  on  the  readers  of  the 
following  pages.  What  answer  will  be  theirs?  Will 
they  claim  that  they  are  powerless  and  that  it  is  wasted 
time  to  oppose  those  who  want  war?  Or  will  they 
grasp  at  last  that  numerous  are  those  who  abhor  the 
bloody  game ;  that  the  crowds,  by  their  cowardice  and 
their  dumbness  alone,  have  given  power  to  their  war 
like  leaders?  Will  they  be  the  trumpets  of  anger  and 
contempt  which  will  throw  down  the  walls  of  preju 
dice  and  ignorance? 

At  all  the  crossroads,  men  and  women  have  preached 
this  gospel,  but  to  them  the  masses  have  listened  with 
deaf  ears. 

Here  it  is,  as  it  is,  this  cursed  war,  in  this  play,  with 
its  rapid  and  striking  scenes.  May  it  arouse  ideas,  and 
awake  hearts  and  brains,  and  instil  in  men  the  definite 
and  peremptory  will  to  wipe  out  forever  the  crime 
made  of  crimes,  the  breeder  of  crimes,  the  crime  war  is ! 

HENRI  LA  FONTAINE, 

President  of  the  International  Bureau  of  Peace, 
Professor  of  International  Law. 


THE  HATE  BREEDERS 


THE  HATE  BREEDERS 


FIRST  SCENE 

The  interior  of  a  chateau  near  Louvain.  The  room, 
distinguished  by  a  fine  renaissance  mantel,  and  deco 
rated  in  the  style  of  Louis  Quinze,  makes  an  incongru 
ous  operating-room.  An  operating  table  is  in  the  center 
of  the  room,  in  disordered  and  unpleasantly  suggestive 
condition.  The  room  opens  at  right  into  a  hall.  There 
are  two  doors  at  left.  The  windows  at  the  rear  give  a 
distant  view  of  Louvain.  Every  little  while  lurid 
lights  flame  up,  turning  the  eyes  of  the  nurses  and 
doctors  with  pitiful,  or  gratified,  comprehension  to 
ward  the  blaze.  The  lights  die  down,  and  flame  up 
again. 

Two  Red  Cross  nurses,  both  German,  are  cleaning 
up  after  an  operation  which  has  just  taken  place.  They 
hurry,  in  a  scattered,  nervous  way,  every  light  in  the 
distance,  every  noise  startling  them  and  stopping  their 
work.  There  is  heard  a  loud  explosion,  not  far  distant. 

FIRST  NURSE 

Dropping  bloody  towels  that  she  had  just 
picked  up. 

A  bomb! 

SECOND  NURSE 
'Ach!  Those  fearful  bombs! 


2  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

FIRST  NURSE 
Not  far  off,  that  one ! 

ANOTHER  NURSE 

Peering  in  from  hall. 

Hurry  up  with  this  room.    They're  wait 
ing  for  it. 

Sounds    of    screaming    come    through    the 
open  door. 

SECOND  NURSE 
What's  that? 

FIRST  NURSE 
How  near  was  that  bomb? 

NURSE 

Retreating. 
I  didn't  hear  anything. 

Withdraws,  closing  the  door  after  her. 

SECOND  NURSE 
What  was  that  noise  ?    Screams — 


THE     HATE    BREEDERS  3 

FIRST  NURSE 

One  of  the  mad  ones.  They  brought  in 
another  this  morning.  He's  screamed  ever 
since  they  brought  him  in. 

SECOND  NURSE 

Pitifully,  as  though  she  were  looking  down 
on  the  wounded  soldier. 

Really  mad,  you  meanp  Or  out  of  his 
head,  the  poor  dear? 

FIRST  NURSE 

Mad,  they  said.  They  think  he's  not  badly 
hurt.  But  he  keeps  on  screaming.  It  gets  on 
my  nerves.  They  were  going  to  give  him 
the  ray. 

SECOND  NURSE 
Shivering  as  she  returns  to  her  work. 

The  mad  ones  are  the  worst. 

FIRST  NURSE 
Cleaning  up  vigorously  the  operating  table. 

Do  you  wonder  they  go  mad,  the  smells, 
the  fearful  sights,  the  noise? 


4  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

SECOND  NURSE 

Clapping  her  hands  over  her  ears  as  though 
to  shut  out  memories. 

A ch,  the  noises ! 

HEAD  NURSE 

Coming  in. 

Is  everything  ready? 

FIRST  NURSE 

Bustling  around. 

A  few  minutes.  It  was  a  bloody  mess. 

SECOND  NURSE 

Stopping  in  front  of  one  of  the  long  win 
dows. 

See!    That  light!   A  fire!    It's  growing 
brighter.    It's  a  big  fire. 

SECOND  NURSE 

Looking  up  from  the  basket  into  which  she 
is  throwing  rags  and  lint  and  gory  ban 
dages. 

Is  it  the  mad  one  next?    I  don't  like  the 
mad  ones! 


THE    HATp    BREEDERS  <? 

HEAD  NURSE 

Set  that  basket  out.  I  don't  know.  Each 
one  as  it  comes.  Was  the  floor  washed  up? 

FIRST  NURSE 

We  had  to  do  it  ourselves.  As  well  as  we 
could  in  the  time  they  gave  us.  The  char 
woman  ran  off  to  see  if  it  was  her  son  that 
was  brought  in  dying.  We  haven't  seen  her 
since.  We  were  not  given  time  to  do  it  right. 

HEAD  NURSE 

Looking  around  the  room  with  an  expres 
sion  of  resignation  in  which  determina 
tion  is  blended.  One  can  see  that  hers 
%  is  a  character  of  executive  sternness  tem 
pered  with  sorrow  and  fatigue.  She 
looks  strained  almost  to  the  breaking 
point. 

Get  yourselves  ready. 

The  two  nurses  go  to  a  basin,  and  "scrub 
up"  vigorously. 

HEAD  NURSE 

Picking  up  scraps  of  lint  here  and  there, 
and  straightening  things  in  a  weary  su 
perficial  way. 


6  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

This  will  have  to  do. 

The  door  opens,  and  a  surgeon  enters  from 
the  hall. 

SURGEON 
rAll  ready? 

HEAD  NURSE 

Shrugging. 

It's  not  very  fit! 

SURGEON 

We've  got  to  get  him  on  the  table  before 
he  begins  again. 

SECOND  NURSE 

To  herself,  drying  her  arms. 
It  is  the  mad  one! 

SURGEON 

He's  been  screaming  ever  since  we  found 
him.  He  screamed  until  he  fainted.  Under 
the  ray.  He  was  pretending  death  when  we 
found  him. 

SECOND  NURSE 

Clasping  her  hands  with  piteous  compre 
hension. 


THE     HATE    BREEDERS  J 

He  didn't  want  to  live.    He  didn't  want 
to  get  well  1 

Surgeon  goes  to  basin  to  scrub  as  the  door 
opens  and  a  wheeled  stretcher  is  brought 
in,  followed  by  two  men,  a  doctor  and 
the  head  surgeon,  and  a  white-swathed 
nurse. 

SECOND  NURSE 

Her  sympathy  pulling  her  toward  the 
stretcher,  her  eyes  full  of  pitiful  under 
standing. 

Not  mad!    Not  mad,  the  poor  dear  I 

The  stretcher  is  moved  toward  the  table 
as  the  head  surgeon  goes  to  a  basin  and 
falls  briskly  and  cheerfully  to  the  work 
of  "scrubbing  up."  The  white-swathed 
nurse  waits  on  him,  holding  out  steril 
ized  towels  and  green  soap.  She  is  all 
in  white.  Her  head  is  turbaned  in 
white  gauze;  her  arms  are  bandaged 
with  white  gauze. 

FIRST  NURSE 

Look!     The   fire!     They   are    burning 

Louvain! 

SECOND  NURSE 

Crosses  herself. 
Burning  the  churches! 


8  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

SECOND  SURGEON 

Get  him  on  the  table.     Take  his  feet. 
Careful  if  he  comes  to !    He's  wild. 

SECOND  NURSE 

Standing  with  crossed  arms,  and  looking 
down  on  him  pitifully. 

And  only  a  boy  I 

They  unfasten  his  straps  which  bind  him 
to  the  stretcher.  They  raise  him  care 
fully,  placing  him  on  the  table,  feet 
fronting  toward  the  stage. 

SECOND  SURGEON 

Have  a  care!    He's  coming  to! 

They  all  jump  forward  as  the  wounded 
soldier  struggles  to  a  sitting  posture. 
He  sits  bolt  upright,  deadly  pale.  He 
glares  at  the  nuises  and  surgeons,  giv 
ing  the  audience  opportunity  to  see  his 
face  distinctly.  He  is  a  strong  husky 
lad  of  about  twenty-three.  He  wears  a 
small  mustache,  and  has  three  Heidel 
berg  scars  across  his  cheeks,  long  pur 
ple  welts.  The  attendants  try  to  get 
him  down,  but  he  fends  them  off  with 
surprising  strength.  The  doctor  makes 
a  sign  to  an  attendant  to  get  behind 
him,  and  together  they  support  him 
from  behind. 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  9 

SOLDIER 

Fiercely. 

I  won't  live.  I  tell  you.  I  won't  live.  I 
won't  go  back  to  that  hell.  You  shall  not 
send  me  back.  Hell,  d'ye  hear  me  say  it? 

He  glares  wildly  around  at  the  strange 
faces  that  are  staring  at  him. 

Hell! 

FIRST  NURSE 
He  is  raving. 

SECOND  NURSE 

Shaking  her  head,  and  speaking  softly,  as 
though  to  herself. 

The  poor  dear!    He  is  not  raving! 

SURGEON 

Coming  over  from  basin,  and  rubbing 
his  hands  complacently.  He  is  a  tall 
bearded  man  with  glasses,  which  make 
him  look  like  an  owl.  He  is  the  type 
of  German  doctor  who  has  made  up  his 
mind  to  everything.  He  has  furnished 
it,  that  complacent  mind  of  his,  as  one 
furnishes  a  room  in  the  prevailing,  con 
ventional  mode ;  has  closed  all  the  win 
dows,  and  pulled  to  the  curtains.  There 
is  a  ready  bland  sympathy  of  lips  and 


10  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

eyes,  a  mask-like,  unwarming  sympathy, 
because  he  can  not  understand  anything 
he  does  not  want  to  believe. 

There,  there,  that's  all  right,  my  dear 
boy.  You  will  be  all  right  to-morrow. 

SOLDIER 

Trying  to   free  himself   from  the  strong 
hands  which  hold  him. 

I  won't  live.  I  won't  live.  Why  did  you 
bring  me  here?  Why  didn't  you  let  me  die? 
Do  you  think  I  am  afraid  of  death?  What 
is  death !  But  that — hell !  You  want  to  send 
me  back  there?  What  right  have  you? 
What  right  have  you  to  say,  first:  You  must 
not  live!  And  then:  You  must  not  die? 

SURGEON 

Quiet,  quiet,  mein  lieber.  It's  going  to  be 
all  right.  You  mustn't  excite  yourself. 

SECOND  SURGEON 
Get  him  down. 

SOLDIER 
Don't  touch  me.    Don't  you  touch  me! 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  II 

SURGEON 

We've  got  to  get  those  bullets,  mein 
lie  her. 

SOLDIER 

You  won't.  I  tell  you,  you  won't.  It  is 
my  body.  They're  my  bullets.  You'll  not 
take  them  from  me.  It  is  my  death.  You'll 
not  take  it  from  me. 

Swiftly,  before  they  realize  what  he  is  do 
ing,  he  begins  to  tear  off  his  bandages. 

SECOND  SURGEON 

Godl    Get  him  down! 

They  fall  on  him,  and  strap  him,  scream 
ing. 

SECOND  SURGEON 
The  anesthesia  I 

DOCTOR 
Ready! 

He  is  in  white,  like  the  two  surgeons.  He 
holds  in  his  hands  the  cone  for  the  an 
esthesia. 


12  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

THE  NURSE 

There,  mein  lieber.  Breathe  deep.  No, 
quiet.  Try  to  breathe  quietly.  Try  to  sleep. 
Think  that  your  mother  is  here.  No,  quiet, 
my  dear.  Think  that  it  is  your  mother  who 
holds  your  hand.  Can  you  feel  it?  Hold 
it  tight.  No,  no,  mein  lieber,  ruhig,  ruhig, 
bleiben.  Breathe  deep,  my  son. 

The  maternal  words  are  softly  incongru 
ous.  Though  the  madonna  light  is  in 
her  eyes,  she  looks,  in  her  white  swath- 
ings,  like  a  girl  of  sixteen. 

Breathe  deep,  my  son! 

HEAD  SURGEON 
Don't  let  go  of  him  until  he's  well  under! 

The  soldier  can  be  seen  to  struggle  under 
the  white  sheets,  and  the  cone  moves 
violently. 

WHITE-ROBED  NURSE 
'Ach,  quiet,  my  son !   There,  there,  breathe 
deep!  Quiet,  quiet,  my  son! 

SURGEON 
Keep  hold  of  him. 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  13 

NURSE 
He's  getting  it  now! 

As  they  stand  watching  him,  one  surgeon 
holding  his  pulse,  his  eye  on  his  watch, 
a  small  noise  starts,  like  the  sound  of  an 
approaching  electric  car,  or  a  dynamo, 
clap,  clap,  clap,  getting  louder  as  the 
room  grows  darker. 

NURSE 

Leaning  over  patient. 

Can  you  hear  me  speak?    Press  my  hand. 

To  doctor. 

Give  him  more.    Can  you  hear  me  now? 
Press  my  hand. 

The  throbbing  grows  louder,  almost  deaf 
ening,  until  the  room  is  in  total  darkness, 
the  light  of  the  fires  outside  appearing 
to  be  slowly  shrouded. 

VOICE  OF  THE  NURSE 
As  though  muffled,  and  from  a  distance. 

He's  off! 

There  is  an  interim  of  darkness,  during 
which  the  anesthetic  clapping  or  throb 
bing  continues.  Muffled  whispers  and 
hurried  movements  can  be  heard,  here 
and  there  a  word  detaching  itself  from 
the  throbbing. 

More  ether!    Breathe  deep!    The  gauze! 


SECOND    SCENE 

When  the  lights  return,  an  underground  beer  hall  in 
Berlin  is  disclosed.  It  is  night.  Tables  are  about  the 
room,  surrounded  by  men  in  uniform  and  in  civilian 
clothes.  The  soldier  of  the  preceding  scene,  from  now 
on  called  Max  Dohrman,  is  the  center  of  an  excited 
group. 

FIRST  SPEAKER 

The  war  is  here.    We  can't  stop  it. 
MAX 

We  can.  If  we  refuse  to  fight,  if  the  Ger 
man  Socialist  refuses  to  fight,  we  will  light 
a  torch  in  Germany  that  will  rouse  the 
world.  If  the  Kaiser's  soldiers  refuse  to 
fight,  how  can  he  have  war? 

ANOTHER  VOICE 
They'll  drag  us  in.    They'll  force  us. 

MAX 
How  can  they  force  us? 

SECOND  VOICE 
They'll  shoot  us. 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  15 

FIRST  SPEAKER 

They'll  shoot  us,  whatever  we  do.  They'll 
shoot  us  if  we  don't  fight,  and  they'll  let  us 
be  shot  if  we  do  fight,  and  there  you  are,  as 
I  see  it. 

MAX 

Inflammatorily. 

What's  being  shot?  What's  the  death  of 
a  few  men,  a  glorious  martyr's  death,  a 
death  for  a  cause,  for  a  principle,  what's 
that  sort  of  death?  Glorious!  What's  the 
death  of  a  few  men  who  say:  "There  shall 
be  no  more  wars.  We  are  not  savages.  Nor 
slaves."  Being  shot,  that's  nothing.  Being 
shot,  that's  all!  The  death  of  a  few  of  us, 
instead  of  thousands;  no,  millions!  And 
ruined  homes,  and  a  ruined  country;  and 
then  more  hatreds  working  up  more  wars! 
Let's  end  it.  Being  shot's  easy.  God,  do 
you  know  what  war  is?  It's  hell.  Just  hell. 
It's  hunger,  it's  fire,  it's  anger  and  cruelty; 
it's  lust ;  it's  torture.  Just  hell.  Being  shot's 
nothing.  Dying's  nothing.  They'll  shoot 


16  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

true,  our  companions,  and  then  it's  done. 
War  is  done.  No  more  war;  king-made 
wars.  No  more  hell. 

THIRD  VOICE 

Gloomily. 

It's  hell  we're  in  for. 

MAX 

Leaping  on  table. 

No,  I  tell  you.  No!  You  can  stop  it. 
You  and  I!  We  can  raise  a  cry  that  will 
wake  Germany.  She's  asleep,  Germany  is, 
dreaming  the  dreams  they  tell  her  to  dream. 
Say  that  the  German  soldier  has  refused  to 
fight.  Say  that  there  shall  be  no  more  war, 
no  more  organized  murder.  This  is  either 
the  birthday  of  our  freedom,  of  civilization, 
or  its  funeral.  But  it's  now,  comrades.  It's 

now! 

FOURTH  VOICE 

To  be  shot  as  a  traitor! 

FIFTH  VOICE 

The  death  of  a  traitor  won't  help  the 
cause! 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  IJ 

MAX 

Afire  with  enthusiasm. 

Where  are  your  principles?  Your  ideas 
of  freedom?  Gone  at  the  sound  of  a  bugle 
call!  Who  was  it  said  he'd  refuse  to  die 
the  death  of  a  slave  and  a  savage?  In  this 
very  room!  It  wasn't  a  month  ago!  Carl 

Heise! 

HEISE 

Ach!  But  a  month  ago!  There  wasn't 
war  then!  Now  we  are  called  to  defend 

our  country! 

MAX 

Who  made  it  necessary  to  defend  it? 
Were  you  asked  about  it?  Closet-made 

wars! 

PROPRIETOR 

Bustling  up  to  them. 
Careful,  die  Herren!  No  treason!  They'd 

shut  my  shop! 

MAX 

They'll  shut  your  shop,  all  right!  They'll 
shut  your  shop,  anyway!  They'll  drag  you 
out,  and  take  your  goods.  They'll  tie  a 


l8  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

sword  to  you.  They'll  make  a  target  out  of 
you,  a  target  for  the  Kaiser's  cousins.  Ay, 
and  our  brothers !  Who  was  it  said  we  are 
all  brothers?  The  one  who  said:  Thou 
shalt  not  kill!  And  why  do  they  say  we 
must  kill?  For  the  Fatherland,  and  what  is 
the  Fatherland?  Isn't  it  the  people,  our 
brothers?  The  people  they  are  going  to 
kill  by  millions?  Isn't  it  the  women  who 
send  their  sons  to  the  firing-line?  Isn't  it 
the  little  children,  the  children  who  are 
robbed  of  their  fathers,  the  children  who 
must  pay  the  war-debts  by  the  sweat  of  their 
backs?  Have  they  no  right  to  say  whether 
they  want  to  be  saved  that  way?  Then  our 
country  is  in  danger!  But  war  won't  save 
it!  War  means  more  wars;  more  hatreds. 
We  need  ports,  Germany  does,  markets  for 
our  goods,  colonies  to  consume  them.  We 
need  a  place  in  the  sun.  We  must  fight  to 
get  it;  we  must  fight  to  keep  it.  Expansion. 
That's  what  this  war  means.  And  expansion 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  19 

means    more    war.     Alsace    and    Lorraine 
again.    What  have  they  brought  to  us  but 

hatreds? 

There  is  a  confusion  of  voices,  out  of 
which  the  proprietor  tries  in  vain  to  be 
heard. 

PROPRIETOR 
Die  Herrenf    Die  Herren! 

MAX 

Tell  your  Kaiser.  Never  a  better  time  to 
tell  him.  He'll  listen  to  you  now.  You've 
got  the  power.  Without  you,  he  can't  fight. 
He  doesn't  want  war.  He  wants  what  war 
can  bring  to  him.  The  gunmakers,  those 
men  who  have  purses  for  hearts,  they  don't 
want  war.  It  is  the  only  way  they  can  get 
what  they  do  want,  a  market  for  their  goods, 
for  their  gold  fringe,  for  their  guns,  for 
their  brass  buttons.  They  are  selling  the 
wrong  goods!  Make  them  sell  the  right 
goods!  Make  them  stop  making  money  out 
of  the  maimed  bodies  of  men;  out  of  the 
tears  and  shame  of  women;  out  of  the  bur- 


20  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

dens  of  a  stunted  race.  We  are  slaves!  Tell 
the  Kaiser  to  fight  his  own  duel  with  the 
Czar,  his  cousin.  He  doesn't  hate  the  Czar. 
He  is  afraid  of  Russia.  So  we're  told  to  hate 
Russians.  Do  we  hate  them?  I  don't. 
They're  men,  just  like  us.  My  sister  mar 
ried  a  Russian. 

VOICE 
My  brother's  wife's  a  Russian. 

ANOTHER  VOICE 
My  mother  was  a  Russian.     She  came 

from  Moscow. 

MAX 

I  told  you.  We  don't  hate  Russians.  But 
we've  got  to  kill  Russians.  We  don't  hate 
the  English,  but  we  must  kill  Englishmen. 
It's  our  business  to  murder  Englishmen, 
Frenchmen,  everybody  but  Germans.  That's 
our  trade,  paid  murderers. 

A  VOICE 

The  English  hate  us.  They  are  jealous 
of  us,  of  our  trade. 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  21 

MAX 

They're  told  to  hate  us.  So  they  hate 
Germany,  the  idea  of  Germany.  We  hate 
the  idea  of  France,  of  England.  That  is 
what  the  kings  teach  us.  That  is  what  they 
call  patriotism,  loving  your  country,  believ 
ing  it  is  always  right;  hating  the  other  coun 
tries  ;  believing  them  always  wrong.  The 
kings  tell  us  that;  the  newspapers  rub  it  into 
us.  We  are  their  fighting  machine.  We  are 
fed  with  songs,  wTith  the  Idea  in  them;  we 
are  made  drunk  with  pride  and  singing 
and  fury.  Singing!  The  other  night — for 
three  nights  didn't  they  keep  us  whipped 
up,  singing,  drinking,  crying,  "Hoch  der 
Kaiser,  hoch  das  Vaterland!"  before  they 
dared  tell  us  there'd  be  war?  And  then 
when  we  were  drunk  with  the  Idea,  they 
proclaimed  war.  And  you  don't  call  it 
slavery?  Shot  if  we  don't  kill  men  we  don't 
hate,  shot  if  we  don't  make  widows  and 
orphans  of  helpless  women  and  children! 


22  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

And  then  they  must  fight,  the  children, 
later  on,  because  of  the  hate  we've  passed 
on  to  them.  What  end  is  there  to  re 
venge?  What  end  to  hate  once  started? 
Boundaries  to  humanity!  Why  should 
there  be  boundaries  to  humanity?  Did 
the  white  Christ  tell  us  to  kill  our  enemies? 
Did  He  tell  you  to  love  patriotism?  Kings' 
patriotism  means  revenge,  killing  your 
brothers.  Let's  forswear  patriotism!  Let's 
crush  the  Idea!  Put  in  its  place  the  Christ 
idea!  Humanity!  Brotherhood!  All  of 
you!  Hoch  humanity!  Humanity! 

VOICES 

Weakly,  as  though  in  spite  of  their  fears. 

Humanity !    Humanity ! 

PROPRIETOR 

Helplessly. 

But  this  is  treason!     Ich  bitte  Sie,  die 
Herren! 

No  one  pays  any  attenion  to  him.   He  flut 
ters  around  like  a  distracted  fowl. 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  23 

MAX 

Beside  himself  with  fervor  and  prophecy. 

Humanity!  It  is  the  hour!  Eberhard, 
Hans,  who  is  brave  enough  to  die  for  his 
principles?  Carl,  all  of  you!  Down  with 
the  Idea !  Think  of  Ehrman ! 

A  VOICE 

Angrily. 

Ay,  what  happened  to  Ehrman? 

ANOTHER  VOICE 

Shot  as  a  traitor!  Left  a  widow  and  son 
to  be  called  the  widow  and  son  of  a  traitor! 

MAX 

It's  the  system  that  calls  him  a  traitor. 
Because  we  are  slaves.  Generations  to  come 
will  know  the  name  of  Ehrman! 


MAN 

In  uniform. 

IVe  been  ordered  to  join  my  regiment. 


24  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

MAX 

Beside  himself  with  impatience. 

Ordered!  Does  that  make  you  go? 
Order  your  regiment  to  stay  at  home!  You 
can.  It  can't  go  without  you.  It  isn't  a 
regiment  without  you.  Oh,  why  won't  you 
see  it?  On  us,  the  few  of  us  here  to-night, 
hangs  the  peace  or  the  crime  of  Europe. 
Death  for  the  rebels  against  slavery,  and 
Germany's  free!  Free  to  rise  to  the  stature 
of  a  human  being.  Free  to  be  called  a 
Christian  nation;  no  longer  a  barbarous 

nation — 

VOICE 

Take  that  back! 

ANOTHER  VOICE 
You  call  all  of  our  heroes  barbarians? 

MAX 

In  a  rage. 

I  won't  take  it  back.  We're  slaves.  Is 
slavery  civilized?  Our  heroes  didn't  know 
any  better.  We've  traveled  a  long  way,  the 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  2$ 

last  fifty  years.  What  makes  a  sin?  The 
conviction  of  sin!  YouVe  all  said  it,  that 
you  can't  make  wrong  right,  and  you  can't 
make  might  right!  And  that's  the  rotten 
kernel — Might!  They've  buried  His  law 
of  love  miles  deep  under  their  forts,  under 
their  guns  and  their  cannons,  and  then  they 
pray  to  Him:  Lord,  lead  our  armies! 
Every  nation  is  barbarous  until  she  learns 
to  despise  that  lie.  Might  is  the  Prussian 
idea.  The  whole  world's  afraid  of  it,  and 
so  what  does  it  do?  Follows  the  same  plan! 
All  the  nations  straining  to  keep  up  a  rela 
tive  mountain  of  defense,  when  a  relative 
valley  of  defense  would  be  as  powerful  and 
wouldn't  crush  the  people!  Can  might 
keep  power?  That  was  Rome's  idea,  too. 
And  where  is  Rome?  China  has  seen  na 
tion  after  nation  try  that  same  plan,  and  die. 
And  we  scorn  China!  We  haven't  learned 
our  world  lessons  yet;  what  we  take  by  the 
sword,  we  lose  by  the  sword!  To  set  Ger- 


26  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

many  free,  that's  my  patriotism!     To  free 
Germany    from    her    shackles,    from    her 

superstitions. 

VOICES 
Germany  free! 

MAX 

Waving  his  hands  above  his  head. 

Hear  me  say  it.  /  refuse  to  fight.  I, 
Max  Dohrman.  I  choose  Ehrman's  way. 
That's  heroism! 

PROPRIETOR 

Thrusting  himself  forward  apoplectically. 

Ich  bitte  Sle,  no  treason!  No  treason, 
die  Her  rent 

He  stops  short  as  the  door  at  the  top  of 
the  stairs  is  pushed  in.  The  street  can 
be  seen  to  be  full  of  people,  men  and 
women  staring  down  into  the  beer  hall. 

A  MAN 
There  he  is. 

GIRL'S  VOICE 
Oh,  where  is  he? 

She  comes  running  down  the  stairs,  break 
ing  through  the  dour  group,  and  flings 


THE     HATE    BREEDERS  27 

herself  on  Max,  who  has  jumped  down 
at  the  sound  of  her  voice. 

THESI 

Oh,  Max! 

MAX 
Why  did  you  come  here,  my  Thesi? 

THESI 

Oh,  Max,  I  can  not  bear  it.  They  told 
me  such  fearful  things.  They  say  you  are 
going  to  defy  the — Kaiser!  You  are  going 
to  be  sh-shot!  Sh-sh-shot  as  a  traitor! 

MAX 

Folding  her  in  his  arms,  and  pulling  up 
her  face  that  he  may  drink  up  the 
sweetness  of  every  feature. 

It  is  a  surprise  to  my  Thesi?  When  she 
knows  what  I  believe,  how  I  feel? 

THESI 

Sobbing  in  his  arms. 

Ach,  it  used  to  sound  grand!  But  then, 
there  was  no  war.  Now,  it's  different. 


28  THE    HATE    B  R  E  E  D  E  R  S 

MAX 

Tenderly  as  to  a  little  child. 
No,  my  Thesi,  it's  not  different. 

A  VOICE 

It's  true  what  she  says.     It  is  different. 
Orders  make  the  difference. 

They  turn  suddenly  to  one  another,  uncon 
sciously  huddling.  They  question  with 
awed  eyes  the  sound  of  tramping  feet 
coming  to  them  out  of  the  silence  of  a 
minute  before.  There  is  a  muffled  sound 
of  drums,  of  martial  music. 

THESI 

In  ecstasy  of  fright. 

They're  coming!     They're  coming  after 
you! 

MAX 

Supporting  her. 
Who's  coming,  my  Thesi? 

THESI 

Soldiers!     They  will  shoot  you!     They 
will  shoot  you,  Max! 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  29 

MAX 

Proudly. 

Because  I  am  a  slave!     Because  we  are 
barbarians!    Because  we  are  not  free! 

THESI 
Go  with  them,  Max!     Go  with   them, 

Max! 

MAX 

To  his  companions,  imploringly. 

Stand  firm.    Don't  let  them  scare  you! 

The  door  is  flung  open  as  the  music  dies 
into  the  last  strain  of  Die  Wacht  am 
Rhein.  An  officer,  followed  by  a  hand 
ful  of  soldiers,  steps  inside.  There  is  a 
glimpse  of  uniforms,  of  soldiers,  before 
the  door  is  shut. 

OFFICER 

His  Majesty,  our  gracious  Kaiser,  know 
ing  the  grief  and  confusion  which  this  war 
so  wantonly  thrust  upon  him  must  cause 
his  subjects,  is  disposed  to  be  lenient  toward 
the  few  of  his  soldiers  who  have  not  sprung 
to  their  country's  need.  His  most  gracious 
pardon  is  here  extended  to  those  who  avail 


30  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

themselves  of  this  opportunity,  their  last,  to 
wipe  the  stain  of  dishonor  from  their  uni 
forms,  from  their  families,  from  their  na 
tion.  Carl  Eberhard! 

MAX 

Turning  from  his  Thesi. 

No! 

OFFICER 
Carl  Eberhard! 

EBERHARD 

Glancing  wildly  at  Max  as  though  implor 
ing  his  forgiveness. 

Here! 

OFFICER 
Carl  Heise! 

Max  Dohrman  moves  as  though  to  inter 
pose  himself  between  the  officer  and 
Heise,  but  Thesi  clings  to  him. 

HEISE 

Slowly,  painfully,  as  though  disowning  his 
child. 

Here! 

MAX 

Appalled. 

Comrades,  what  do  you  do? 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  31 

OFFICER 
Silence  there!   Ludwig  Stroebel! 

STROEBEL 

Here! 

OFFICER 

Franz  Weber! 

WEBER 

Slowly. 
Here! 

OFFICER 

Otto  Wideman! 

WIDEMAN 

Trying  to  get  Max  to  look  at  him,  but 
Max  has  turned  away,  sick  at  heart. 

Here!  s*~" 

OFFICER 

Wilhelm  Dittmer! 

DITTMER 

Briskly. 

Here! 

There  is  a  silence,  a  tension,  before : 

OFFICER 
Max  Dohrman! 

Max  tries  to  speak,  but  his  Thesi's  fingers 
have  gone  over  his  lips.  She  nods  to 
Wideman,  beseechingly. 


32  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

WIDEMAN 

Choking. 

Here! 

MAX 

Hurling  her  from  him. 

It  is  a  lie.  I  did  not  answer.  I  say:  No! 
I,  Max  Dohrman.  I  will  not  fight.  I  will 
not  be  a  beast  for  any  Kaiser! 

OFFICER 

Then  it's  death.  Death  for  Max  Dohr 
man. 

MAX 

Crossing  his  arms  proudly,  and  smiling  at 
the  soldiers  who  stare  at  him  abashed. 

I'm  here.    Put  it  down:   Death  for  Max 

Dohrman. 

THESI 

Crying. 

Max,  you  must  not!  If  not  for  your  own 
sake,  if  you  don't  care  for  yourself  any  more, 
for  your  own  honor  any  more,  then  for  your 
Thesi's  sake,  for  your  mother;  oh,  think  of 
your  poor  mother,  Max!  Max!  You  must 
hear  me! 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  33 

OFFICER 

With  distinct  emphasis. 

Death,  with  dishonor. 
MAX 

Folding  his  arms. 

I've  chosen. 

THESI 

Wildly. 

I  will  not  let  you  choose.  I  have  the  right 
to  your  life.  You  promised  it  to  me.  I  give 
it  to  your  country.  You  will  come  back  to 
me.  The  war  will  soon  be  over.  You  will 
come  back  to  me! 

MAX 

Ach,  Thesi,  that  is  all  over.  The  chance 
of  life.  Of  love.  This  is  death. 

THESI 

Shuddering. 

A  coward's  death! 

MAX 

Fiercely  turning  on  her. 

Is  it  a  coward  who  says:  Shoot  me! 
Shoot  me  now!  Tell  my  countrymen  I 
died  to  save  them! 


34  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

THESI 

No!    No! 

Flings  herself  wildly  across  his  chest,  her 
arms  outstretched,  facing  with  collapsed 
defiance  the  officer  and  the  soldiers. 

OFFICER 

Line  up.  That's  a  sensible  fellow.  Your 
death  would  be  useless.  It  would  be  hushed 
up.  No  one  would  hear  of  it.  Your  people 
would  be  ashamed  to  tell  of  it,  or  to  weep 
for  you.  Useless.  Line  up,  Dohrman. 

EBERHARD 

Behind  Max. 

It's  too  strong  for  us! 

MAX 

His  head  suddenly  drooping,  falling  into 
line. 

It's  too  strong  for  us! 

The  officer  wheels,  marches  up  the  steps, 
followed  by  his  soldiers,  and  Max  and 
his  comrades.  As  Max  passes  Thesi, 
who  has  fallen  into  a  chair,  her  head  on 
the  table  in  a  passion  of  weeping,  of  re 
lief  and  fear  and  grief,  he  pats  her  on 
the  shoulder.  She  raises  her  head  to 
look  after  him,  through  tears.  As  the 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  35 

door  opens,  the  band  can  be  heard  play 
ing  Deutschland  iiber  Allcs.  One  by 
one,  the  men  file  through  the  door.  Max, 
the  last,  his  face  as  though  already  dead, 
is  about  to  pass  out. 

THESI 

Springing  up,  sudden  realization  coming  to 
her. 

Max! 

She  holds  out  her  arms  to  him.  He  walks 
out  as  though  in  a  trance,  without  turn 
ing  to  her  bitter  cry.  As  the  door  shuts, 
the  room  darkens,  and  the  anesthetic 
throbbing  begins.  There  is  a  period  of 
total  darkness,  during  which  the  throb 
bing  dynamo  can  be  heard,  and  the 
muffled  whispers  of  doctors  and  nurses. 

More  ether! 
More  light! 


THIRD  SCENE 

The  curtain  rises  on  a  street  scene,  daylight,  in 
Konigsplatz,  looking  west  down  the  Siegesalle,  or 
street  of  heroes,  whose  statues  flank  the  street.  The 
great  Siegessaule,  or  monument  of  victory,  two  hun 
dred  feet  high,  carrying  the  cannon  of  despoiled  na 
tions,  crowns  the  Platz.  Men  and  women  are  march 
ing  back  and  forth,  eagerly  talking;  some  women  are 
weeping. 

WOMEN 

They're  coming!    They're  coming! 

A  MAN'S  VOICE 
The  troops  I 

Men,  women  and  children  all  line  up  at 
foot  of  the  Siegessaule  to  make  room  for 
the  troops.  Their  handkerchiefs  fly,  as 
a  band  enters  playing  the  national  airs. 
The  troops  follow. 

VOICES 

Ach,  the  brave  soldiers! 
My  Fritz! 
The  splendid  army! 
The  Kaiser's  children! 

36 


THE     HATE    BREEDERS  37 

OLD  WOMAN 

With  a  basket,  and  leaning  on  a  cane. 
If  I  could  only  get  a  look  at  my  boy!    My 
boy  is  out  there!     If  I  could  only  see  my 
boy! 

A  WOMAN 

Turning  curiously  to  look  at  her. 
I  heard  he  refused  to  fight? 

OLD  WOMAN 

Not  fight?  My  Max?  It  was  wicked 
lying  men  who  said  that!  He  is  a  good 
Christian  lad,  my  Max.  Of  course  he  will 
fight! 

ANOTHER  WOMAN 
I  thought  he  was  a  Socialist? 

OLD  WOMAN 

Ach,  he  had  notions.  All  boys  have  no 
tions.  But  he  would  never  refuse  to  fight. 
I  brought  him  up  too  well  for  that! 

VOICES 
Here  they  are! 


38  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

The  troops! 
The  soldiers! 

The  crowd  gets  in  the  way  of  the  lame 
woman  as  the  troops  march  on  to  the 
stage.  The  band  is  playing  Deutsch- 
land  uber  A  lies.  Voices  in  the  crowd 
take  up  the  song.  There  is  a  thrill  of 
emotion  in  every  voice,  excitement  in 
every  face.  Women  pelt  the  soldiers 
with  posies,  crying,  singing,  smiling. 
The  soldiers  are  halted  in  their  march 
by  some  unseen  blockade  ahead.  Eber- 
hard  and  Max  are  near  the  monument 
to  Victory.  Eberhard  stoops  to  pick  up 
a  blossom  at  his  feet. 

EBERHARD 
This  is  better  than  being  shot! 

MAX 

Sullenly. 

A  trick.     They  are  heating  our  blood. 
They  are  feeding  our  engines. 

OLD  WOMAN 
I  wish  I  could  see  my  boy! 

EBERHARD 

Joining  in  the  song. 

T)eutschland,  Deutschland,  uber  alles,  uber 
alles  in  der  Welt, 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  39 

W enn  es  stets  zu  Schutz  and  Trutze,  brude- 

II ch  zuzammen  halt; 
Von  der  Maas  bis  an  die  Memel,  vone  der 

Etsch  bis  an  den  Belt; 
Deutschland,  Deutschland,  uber  alles,  uber 

alles  in  der  IFelt. 

EBERHARD 

Turning  to  Max  as  the  band  stops. 

Do  you  remember  how  we  used  to  sing 
that  at  Heidelberg? 

MAX 
A  trick !    Heating  our  blood  I 

The  band  starts  again  with  Die  Wacht  am 
Rhein.     The  crowd  joins  in  the  song. 

EBERHARD 

Nudging  Max. 

Sing,  Max! 

MAX 

Swept  in  reluctantly  at  first,  the  song  fir 
ing  him. 

Es  brauset  ein  Ruf  <wie  Donnerhall, 
Mit  Schwert-geklirr  und  Wogenprall, 


40  THE     HATE     BREEDERS 

Zum  Rhcin,  zum  Rhein,  zum   deutschen 

Rhein, 

Wer  will  des  Stromes  Huter  sein? 
Lleb  Vaterland,  magst  ruhig  sein! 
Licb  Vaterland,  magst  ruhig  sein! 
Fest  steht  und  treu  die  Wacht,  die  Wacht 

am  Rhein! 
Fest  steht  und  treu  die  Wacht,  die  Wacht 

am  Rhein! 

OLD  WOMAN  WITH  CAXE 
I  hear  my  boy's  voice!    I  hear  my  boy's 

voice ! 

MAX 

Noticing  her  excitement. 

Have  you  a  son  there? 

OLD  WOMAN 

Wiping  her  eyes. 

I  heard  his  voice.    If  I  could  only  see  his 

face! 

MAN 

Picking  her  up  in  his  arms. 

There,  can  you  see  your  boy  now? 


THE     HATE    BREEDERS  41 

OLD  WOMAN 

Oh,  I  see  him!  I  see  him!  My  Max. 
How  fine  he  looks !  My  boy!  Look  at  me, 
Max! 

MAX 

Singing,  waves  at  her. 

Fest  steht  und  treu  die  Wacht,  die  Wacht 
am  Rhein! 

OLD  WOMAN 

Let  me  down !  I  must  go  to  him !  I  must 
go  to  my  boy! 

She  tries  to  push  her  way  through  the 
crowd  which  thickens  between  her  and 
the  troops. 

OLD  WOMAN 

Crying,  bewildered,  not  knowing  which 
way  to  go. 

I've  lost  my  boy !  Where  is  my  boy?  I've 
lost  my  boy! 

A  voice  from  the  street  calls  out,  Hock  der 
Kaiser!  The  cry  surges  through  the 
street,  like  a  swelling  wave.  Hock  der 
Kaiser!  Hock  das  Vaterland! 


42  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

AN  OFFICER 
To  old  woman  who  is  getting  in  the  way. 

Stand  back!    The  troops  are  moving! 

OLD  WOMAN 

But  I  am  his  mother!     I  may  never  see 
him  again!    I  am  his  mother! 

MAN 

In  the  crowd. 

The  country  is  his  mother!    The  Kaiser 

is  his  father! 

VOICES 

Hoch  der  Kaiser! 

OFFICER 

Who  has  been  observing  Max,  approaches 
him,  glowering. 

EBERHARD 

Nudging  Max. 
'Hoch  der  Kaiser. 

MAX 

Wildly. 

Hoch   der  Kaiser.     Hoch   das   Vaterland. 
Hoch  the  great  Idea! 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  43 

OLD  WOMAN 

Catching  a  glimpse  of  her  boy  as  the  troops 
begin  to  move. 

Max !    Speak  to  me,  Max !   Your  mother, 
Max!    Your  mother! 

MAX 

Stumbling  blindly. 

The  Fatherland! 

Amid  cries  of  das  Vaterland,  and  der 
Kaiser!  the  troops  march  away,  hand 
kerchiefs  flying  after  them,  tears  falling 
for  them.  The  band  still  plays.  A  sol 
dier  roughly  pushes  the  old  woman  back 
into  the  crowd. 

SOLDIER 

Gruffly. 

Stand  back,  woman !    Let  the  troops  pass ! 
You're  blocking  the  way! 

OLD  WOMAN 
But  he  is  my  son! 

Sobbing. 

IVe  lost  my  son  I    IVe  lost  my  son ! 

VOICES 

The    Fatherland!      The    Kaiser!      The 
Kaiser!    The  Fatherland! 


44  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

Darkness  again,  and  the  throbbing  as  of 
dynamos.  The  voice  of  the  doctor  can 
be  heard. 

Quick!    Give  me  that  knife! 

And  then  the  sweet  voice  of  the  nurse,  as 
though  from  a  distance  : 

Breathe  deep,  mein  lieber,  breathe  deep. 
Hold  my  hand! 

SURGEON'S  VOICE 
Ach,  Gott,  he's  coming  to! 

HEAD  SURGEON 
More  ether! 

And  then  muffled  rustlings  in  the  dark, 
sound  of  footsteps  running.  Then  a 
sudden  silence. 


FOURTH  SCENE 

Curtain  rises  on  a  gloomy  scene.  Twilight  slipping 
into  night  in  a  deserted  corner  of  the  battle-field,  by 
a  trench.  Over  the  ground  are  strewn  terribly  still 
bodies.  Two  soldiers  lie  side  by  side,  Max  Dohnnan 
and  a  Belgian,  the  latter  mortally  wounded,  his  face 
graying.  Dohrman  is  lying  against  a  mound  of  earth, 
his  eyes  staring  right  at  You !  In  the  distance,  to  the 
right,  is  the  cathedral  of  Louvain.  A  few  prostrate 
wretches  writhe  and  moan  from  time  to  time,  but  most 
of  them  lie  rigid,  and  one  by  one  the  moans  die  away 
into  the  stillness  of  death.  The  face  of  Max  can  be 
plainly  seen,  because  of  his  semi-upright  position.  He 
is  suffering;  his  features  \vork  with  pain;  every  little 
while  his  hand  moves  over  his  chest.  During  this 
scene,  the  twilight  slowly  deepens. 

BELGIAN 

Weakly. 

I  want  a  drink!    If  I  could  only  have  a 

drink! 

MAX 

There's  only  a  drop  in  my  flask.  Can 
you  reach  your  hand?  This  fire  in  my 

chest — 

BELGIAN 
I  can't. 

Simply. 

Both  my  arms  are  gone. 
45 


46  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

MAX 

Sorrowfully. 

Did  I  do  that?  I  saw  you  running.  Run 
ning  toward  me.  I  felt  a  fury,  a  fury  to 
kill  you!  You  were  the  Idea,  the  great  Idea. 
I  had  to  get  you.  How  you  must  hate  me! 

BELGIAN 

It  doesn't  matter,  so  much,  not  now!  It's 
war !  I  got  a  shot  or  two  into  you.  But  I'm 

done  for. 

MAX 

Trying  to  see  the  other,  but  falling  back 
again. 

It's  not  so  bad  as  that?  God!  I  mean  as 
good  as  that!  If  you  had  only  killed  me! 

BELGIAN 
Haven't  you — any  one  to  live  for? 

MAX 

I've  a  sweetheart,  and  an  old  mother.  But 
they  wanted  me  to  kill  people.  The  Idea 
had  them,  too,  of  hate.  That's  patriotism, 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  47 

hating  everybody  that  wasn't  born  in  your 
own  country.    Have  you  a  sweetheart,  too? 

BELGIAN 

I've — a  wife!  It  wasn't  a  year  ago  that 
we  were  married.  There's  a  baby  coming. 
It  may  be  here  now.  And  I'll  never  see  it. 

MAX 

It  will  grow  up  to  be  a  soldier.  It  will 
grow  up  wanting  to  kill  Germans.  He  will 
help  cry  for  the  next  war.  We  are  war 
breeders,  that's  what  we  are,  hate  breeders  1 

BELGIAN 

Moans. 

rA 'drink  I 

MAX 
God!    Is  it  as  bad  as  that,  comrade? 

BELGIAN 
I'm  dying. 

MAX 

God  in  Heaven,  if  I  could  change  places 

with  you! 

BELGIAN 

Weakly. 


48  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

You're  a  German.     I  didn't  know  they 

could  be  kind! 

MAX 

We're  all  men.  If  we  could  all  meet 
each  other,  we'd  find  we  are  just  men.  It's 
war  that  makes  brutes  of  us;  war  finishes 
what  the  barracks  begin.  All  this  day,  I 
wanted  to  run  away  somewhere.  I  lay  in 
that  trench,  the  sun  beating  down  on  my 
head,  the  ground  steaming  from  the  rain  of 
last  night.  The  sun  shone  so,  and  I  had  ter 
rible  thoughts.  I  wanted  to  get  away  from 
this — hell!  I  wanted  to  run  and  find  the 
white  Christ,  if  He  isn't  dead,  too,  to  tell 
Him  to  stop  His  children  from  killing  one 
another.  Then  I  saw  you  running.  I  was  a 
beast  in  a  minute.  You  were  Belgium!  The 
thing  we  must  kill  to  get  past  you!  I  shot 
at  you,  shot  at  you,  shot  at  you !  Again,  and 
again,  and  again! 

BELGIAN 
Some  one  cried  the  Prussians  were  right 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  49 

back  of  us — the  confusion,  I  was  running 
away ! 

MAX 

It  makes  us  all  mad,  much  of  this.  You 
dying,  and  wanting  to  live.  And  I  pray 
ing  for  death  to  come  quick!  But  they 
won't  let  me  die!  They  will  patch  me 
up,  and  send  me  back  here,  as  long  as  I  can 
carry  a  gun !  And  I'll  go  on  killing,  killing! 
You'll  go  on  living,  too.  Living  and  kill 
ing! 

BELGIAN 

I'm  finished! 

MAX 

Lifting  himself  up  with  difficulty,  but  fall 
ing  back,  gasping. 

Don't  leave  me,  Belgium.  I  should  go 
mad,  lying  here,  watching  you  whom  I've 
killed.  That's  worse  than  death,  madness, 
watching  some  one  you've  killed.  I  didn't 
hate  you!  I  didn't  know  you!  Last  night, 
if  I  could  forget  last  night! 


50  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

BELGIAN 
It  rained  last  night! 

MAX 

Back  there,  there  are  houses.  I'd  gone 
after  water.  A  girl  ran  out  from  a  hut, 
screaming.  There  were  soldiers,  two  brutes, 
after  her.  She  looked  like  my  Thesi.  She 
cried  to  me  to  save  her.  I  saved  her  from 
them.  But  God  wasn't  by  to  save  her  from 
me.  See  what  they  have  made  of  me.  That's 
war.  I  can  never  forget  her  face.  It  looked 
like  my  Thesi's. 

BELGIAN; 
Don't  stop  talking! 

MAX 

It's  so  bad,  the  pain,  then?    How  can  you 

speak  to  me? 

BELGIAN 

It's  the  pain,  too,  but  those  men,  groan 
ing!  And  my  wife,  my  wife  back  there! 
No  one  to  look  after  her,  now  I'm  gone.  I 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  51 

don't  want  to  hear  my  own  thoughts.     Go 

on  talking. 

MAX 

'Have  you  thought  what  war  is?  I've 
lain  in  these  trenches,  soaked  with  rain, 
burned  up  with  sun,  and  I've  thought,  and 
thought.  I've  seen  the  truth  about  war. 
Why  it  goes  on. 

BELGIAN 

His  voice  growing  weaker. 

There  has  always  been  war.  There  will 
always  be  war. 

MAX 

There  will  always  be  war  as  long  as  men 
think  war,  plan  for  war.  What  you  get 
ready  for,  what  you  are  always  thinking 
about  is  sure  to  happen.  They  tricked 
us  with  the  lie  that  we  could  prevent 
war  by  getting  ready  for  war.  It  was  be 
cause  we  were  ready  that  we  wouldn't  take 
time  to  talk  about  it.  Taking  time  to  talk 
things  over,  that's  the  way  to  cool  things 


£2  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

down.  Men  should  make  a  law  that  nations 
can  not  fight  for  a  year  after  any  trouble. 
You've  got  to  settle  it  by  talking  after  the 
fighting's  done;  why  not  do  it  first  before 
the  wounds  have  made  everybody  sore?  It 
looks  simple  in  the  trenches.  It  doesn't  look 
simple  outside  in  the  world  because  of  all 
the  money  invested.  Every  dollar  a  nation 
invests  in  war,  in  preparing  for  war,  it  is 
going  to  get  back  in  blood.  Blood  and 
broken  bodies,  and  fired  towns.  When  the 
people  learn  how  they  are  tricked,  they'll 
put  an  end  to  war.  It's  the  people  who  will 
do  it;  when  they  wake  up.  They'll  tear 
down  the  forts  as  they  did  the  Bastille. 
They'll  throw  the  guns  into  the  sea. 

BELGIAN 

Gasping. 

Yes.    Go  on ! 

MAX 

Slowly,  as  though  hunting  for  ideas,  gath 
ering  fire  as  he  talks. 

I  said  we  were  breeding  hate  here.    We'll 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  53 

have  to  rest  for  a  while,  they'll  all  have  to 
rest  for  a  while,  when  this  is  over,  and  then 
the  gunmakers  will  begin  talking  revenge 
again,  revenge  and  these  hatreds.  Remem 
ber  Louvain !  your  people  will  cry.  They'll 
work  them  all  up  again!  Your  child,  too, 
maybe.  That  girl  that  looked  like  my 
Thesi!  She'll  teach  her  baby's  lips  to  curse 
the  Germans.  Why,  we're  not  fiends,  we 
Germans.  See  what  it  does  to  make  all  men 
soldiers!  You  think  it  was  Germany  that 
ruined  your  country.  I  tell  you,  it  was  war ! 
Some  day  the  world  will  understand  it. 
War's  the  fiend  men  should  make  war  on! 
Max  pauses  to  listen,  goes  on  slowly. 

Our  homes  aren't  burned  yet,  German 
homes,  nor  our  churches,  and  we're  proud 
because  we  say  we  can  keep  our  enemies 
out  of  the  Fatherland!  Have  we?  What 
has  war  brought  to  us,  in  Germany?  In 
my  regiment  there  was  a  doctor.  He  had 
spent  twenty  years  finding  a  cure  for  a  ter- 


54  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

rible  disease.  War  came.  He  had  to  go, 
for  he  was  a  slave.  I  saw  him  shot  through 
the  heart.  That  wasn't  one  death.  Thou 
sands  died  that  minute,  the  thousands  he 
would  have  saved.  There's  a  man  who 
wrote  books,  poetry  that  makes  your  heart 
beat  quick,  that  makes  you  proud  to  be  a 
man  and  a  German.  I  saw  him  fall; 
Belgian  bullets.  More  than  a  man  was 
killed,  splendid  thinking — splendid  help 
ing!  There's  a  man  who  made  heavenly 
music ;  played  it,  wrote  it.  They  made  his 
blood  boil  with  hate.  They  turned  him  into 
a  beast,  a  murdering,  ravenous  beast.  They 
say's  he  mad  now.  Lots  of  them  go  mad. 
They  can't  stand  this.  If  you  leave  me, 
Belgium,  I'll  go  mad,  too! 

BELGIAN 

Gasping. 
Keep — on — talking  to  me! 

MAX 
The  best  painter  in  Germany.    His  head 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  55 

blown  off!  England  did  it — or  France. 
We've  ruined  you,  Belgium,  but  we've 
ruined  ourselves,  too! 

There  is  no  answer.  It  has  grown  dark. 
The  two  men  lie  silent.  Max,  question 
ing  at  last  the  silence,  tries  to  see  the 
face  of  the  Belgian.  Listens  with  rising 
terror. 

MAX 

At  last. 

I  can't  hear  him  breathe.  Belgium! 
Speak  to  me!  Breathe  for  me!  Belgium! 

Again  there  is  silence  on  the  field  of  death. 
Max  listening. 

MAX 

His  voice  shrilling. 

He's  gone! 

It  grows  darker.  The  dead  are  scarcely 
visible.  The  stricken  wretches  have 
stopped  their  writhings. 

MAX 

Don't  leave  me,  Belgium!  I'll  see  her 
face,  the  girl  that  looked  like  my  Thesi. 
I'll  see  your  face,  the  man  I  butchered, 
taunting  me,  Max  Dohrman,  murderer. 


56  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

Stay  with  me,  talk  to  me !  Stay  till  the  night 
is  gone.  Belgium !  Just  one  word !  Moan, 
moan,  anything,  just  live,  Belgium!  I'll 
go  mad!  Those  smells;  The  dark!  Those 
faces,  blue  eyes,  like  my  Thesi! 

Silence. 

My  cartridges  gone!  Not  one,  God!  to 
end  it!  If  I  could  reach  his  belt!  I'll  reach 
his  belt! 

Crawls,  moaning  piteously,  slowly  toward 
the  body  of  the  dead  soldier. 

They  won't  find  me!  I  won't  be  here 
when  they  come! 

Reaches,  painfully  crawling,  the  body  of 
the  Belgian. 

God's  hell!  Lying  en  it!  Fire  in  my 
chest!  Fire  in  my  head!  Pain!  Pain! 
Don't  look  at  me  that  way,  Thesi!  I  didn't 
know  it  was  you,  Thesi!  You  sent  me;  it 
was  you,  you!  If  women  knew  what  war 
is,  they  wouldn't  want  their  men  to  be  sol 
diers.  You  didn't  want  me  to  be  a  coward; 
you  wanted  me  to  kill  that  poor  Bel- 


THE     HATE    BREEDERS  57 

gian — !    I  didn't  hate  him!    God,  the  brute 
I  am!    Don't  look  like  that,  Belgium! 

Covers  his  face  with  his  hands. 

Lying  on  your  belt  to  get  even  with  me! 

God,  you're  even.    Alone,  alone!   Where's 

my  knife?    Gone,  too!    Don't  you  look  at 

me,  don't  you  touch  me! 

Screams. 
Belgium! 

The  darkness  is  intense,  and  the  silence. 
Only  the  beating,  like  that  of  a  fright 
ened  heart,  can  be  heard,  clapping  like 
a  dynamo  somewhere,  beyond,  outside, 
throbbing,  throbbing.  Then  in  the  back 
ground  come  lights,  like  fireflies  moving 
close  to  the  ground,  flickering  over  the 
field.  Dark  shapes,  as  of  silent  men,  are 
behind  them.  Then  they  all  pass  away 
but  one,  which  settles  against  the  wall 
of  the  cathedral.  It  swells  into  a  great 
white  moon,  growing  larger — a  great 
Brobdingnagian  moon.  Over  its  surface, 
pictures  begin  to  play. 

PICTURES 

'A  doctor  in  his  laboratory  at  work.  Into  his  room 
comes  an  officer  who  looks  like  the  Kaiser.  He  hands 
the  doctor  orders.  There  is  the  sound  of  martial 
music;  of  Deutschland  uber  Alles.  The  doctor  drops 
his  vial  as  he  stretches  out  his  hand  for  the  orders. 


58  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

Comes  a  woman  into  the  room,  and  pleads  with  him, 
clinging  to  him.  He  kisses  her,  and  tears  himself  from 
her  arms. 

A  man  sits  at  his  desk  writing.  He  raises  his  head, 
as  though  challenging  a  sound.  He  jumps  to  his  feet, 
raising  a  window  back  of  his  desk.  Cries  of  Hoch  der 
Kaiser,  hoch  das  Vaterland?  He  throws  down  his 
manuscript,  and  rushes  from  the  room. 

A  man  at  a  piano,  playing  dreamily,  as  though  im 
provising.  The  Kaiser  officer  enters,  throws  the  sheets 
of  music  lying  on  the  piano  roughly  to  the  ground.  He 
points  to  the  open  door,  and  one  hears  a  band  in  the 
distance,  as  though  veiled,  playing  Deutschland  uber 
Alles.  As  in  a  trance,  the  player  follows  the  officer 
from  the  room,  gazing  wistfully  back  as  though  saying 
farewell  to  all  his  dreams. 

A  painter  at  his  easel.  Comes  the  sound  of  march 
ing  music,  comes  the  sound  of  marching  feet.  He 
throws  down  his  brushes,  and  jumps  up,  to  face  the 
officer.  The  far-off  strains  of  Deutschland  are  heard. 

A  peaceful  fireside  scene.  A  man  with  his  children, 
his  wife,  and  his  old  mother,  who  is  knitting.  Into 
this  peace  strides  the  Kaiser  officer,  and  throws  the 
orders  into  the  man's  hands.  Peace  becomes  woe.  The 
wife  weeps  and  pleads  with  the  officer.  The  children 
cast  themselves  upon  him.  The  old  mother's  knitting 
drops  to  the  ground,  her  face  showing  a  terrible  de 
spair. 

The  next  scene  is  one  of  battle.  One  scene  after  an 
other  passes  across  the  Brobdingnagian  moon.  Men  in 
the  trenches;  men  firing  guns;  men  shooting  at  human 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  59 

targets;  men  dying.  And  then,  the  light  is  seen  to 
dwindle;  it  moves  low  to  the  ground ;  comes  -nearer  to 
Max,  until  it  is  seen  to  be  a  bull's  eye  lantern  carried 
by  a  doctor.  He  is  follawed  by  an  assistant. 

MAX 

Whispering. 

Coming!     Coming  to  find  me!     I  shall 
fool  them!    I  shall  not  breathe! 

Lies  motionless  as  the  lantern  draws  nearer. 
The  doctor  and  his  assistant  stop  to  ex 
amine  the  bodies,  listening,  prodding. 

SURGEON 

His  hand  on  the  Belgian's  heart. 
Dead.    Quite  cold. 

ASSISTANT 

Touching  Max. 

Both  dead.    Hold  on!    I'm  not  sure  about 
this  one!    This  one's  not  dead! 

SURGEON 

He's  not  dead!    Give  me  that  light.    His 
pulse  is  all  right.    Why,  we  can  save  this 

one! 

MAX 

Suddenly  yelling. 


60  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

You  won't  save  me!  I  won't  let  you  save 
me!  I  won't  come  back  here!  Do  you  hear 
me?  I  won't  come  back  to  this  hell!  Kill 
me  here!  Finish  your  work!  Hoch  the 
great  Idea!  Let  it  live  forever,  the  great 
Idea,  Might!  Let  it  kill  Germany! 

SURGEON 

Straightening. 

Another  of  the  mad  ones ! 
ASSISTANT 

Poor  rdevil ! 

SURGEON 

We  must  rush  him  to  the  hospital ! 

Puts  a  whistle  to  his  lips.   Blows. 

MAX 

Wildly. 

Kill  me  here!  Bury  me  with  the  poems 
and  the  music,  with  the  books  and  the  dis 
coveries!  Burn  us  all  up!  Burn  us  over 
there! 

Points  to  horizon,  where  a  fire  is  beginning. 
The  outlines  of  the  church  can  be  seen. 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  6l 

ASSISTANT 
Firing  Louvain? 

MAX 
The  world  is  burning!     Civilization  is 

burning! 

SURGEON 

We'll  have  to  strap  him. 

MAX 
Everything  is  gone  but  hate! 

SURGEON 
Hold  his  hands.    He'll  hurt  himself. 

MAX 
Hock  the  great  Idea! 

Men  come,  carrying  a  stretcher.  As  they 
are  raising  him,  the  bull's  eye  lantern 
full  upon  him,  a  gust  of  wind  comes, 
blowing  the  blankets  which  the  men 
hold  into  sails. 

SURGEON 
Wrap  him  up.    A  cold  wind's  rising. 

The  wind  increases,  and  the  lanterns  ap 
pear  to  be  blown  out.  Darkness  wraps 


62  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

the ,  battle-field.  The  anesthetic  throb 
bing  begins.  The  sound  of  hurrying 
steps  are  heard,  and  whispers,  indistin 
guishable  whispers. 

Before  the  lights  flare  out  again,  the  voice 
of  the  surgeon  is  heard. 

SURGEON, 
Quick,  a  towel ! 

NURSE 
He's  coming  to. 


FIFTH  SCENE 

The  lights  come  on.  The  operating-room  is  dis 
closed.  The  surgeons  and  the  nurses  are  bloodspat- 
tered.  The  table,  the  space  around  the  table  are  gory. 

DOCTOR 

To  surgeon. 

Shall  I  give  him  more  ether? 

SURGEON 
Let  him  come  to. 

WHITE-WRAPPED  NURSE 

Tenderly. 

There,  quiet,  my  son.  There,  there,  my 
boy.  You  have  had  a  nice  sleep,  mein 
lleber.  You've  been  dreaming. 

MAX 
Dead!    Dead! 

His  voice  is  thick. 
SURGEON 
Living!    Far  from  dead,  mein  lleber! 

SECOND  NURSE 

Impulsively. 

63 


64  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

Oh,  why  can't  you  let  him  think  it  a  while 
longer?  Don't  torture  him  yet! 

SURGEON 

Staring  at  her  through  his  large  glasses 
solemnly,  as  though  she  were  a  child 
speaking  when  not  spoken  to.  She  re 
treats. 

No,  mein  lieber.  Living!  We've  saved 
another  brave  soldier  for  his  regiment.  In 
six  weeks — 

SECOND  SURGEON 
Quick,  hold  his  hands! 

Doctors  and  nurses  hold  him.  Outside  in 
the  distance  a  bomb  explodes,  blanching 
the  faces  of  the  nurses. 

MAX 

Stares,  then  screams. 

You've  patched  me  up,  you'll  send  me 
back  to  that?  God,  why  didn't  you  kill  me? 
Don't  look  at  me  like  that,  Thesi ! 

Looks  wildly  at  the  white-robed  nurse. 

Blue  eyes,  blue  eyes,  like  my  Thesi!  I 
thought  she  was  an  angel,  too,  but  she  was 


THE    HATE    BREEDERS  65 

mad,  like  all  the  world.  Mad  to  kill.  It 
is  burning  us  all  up.  I  didn't  hate  you,  Bel 
gium.  You  were  in  my  way.  I  had  to  get 
you,  to  get  past  you!  It  wasn't  my  fault! 
I  didn't  begin  it!  The  others  began  it!  I 
didn't  hate  any  one!  He  said  not  to  kill- 
Exhausted,  he  falls  back. 

SURGEON 

Raving  again!    He'll  be  all  right  to-mor 
row.    He's  not  out  of  the  ether  yet. 

SECOND  NURSE 

Shaking  her  head  sadly. 

He's  not  raving.    He's  seen  the  truth  out 
there  1 

Nobody  listens  to  her. 

MAX 

With  superhuman  strength,  suddenly  pulls 
himself  up. 

Kill  me!    Burn  me! 

They  fall  on  him,  and  get  him  down. 

SURGEON 
Strap  his  feet! 


66  THE    HATE    BREEDERS 

Enter  the  head  nurse,  followed  by  attend 
ants.  She  motions  them  toward  the  sol 
dier  on  the  table.  They  move  forward, 
with  the  stretcher. 

HEAD  NURSE 

Turning  briskly  to  the  other  nurses. 

Clean  up  for  the  next! 
MAX 

Screams  as  the  attendants  touch  him. 

Slaves ! 

QUICK  CURTAIN 


RETURN  TO:                    M^^S^^8 
^OBR      /    *° 

LOAN  PERIOD     1 

2         fAILCODE: 

WO 

£  CA  94720-6000 

4 

5 

6 

ALL  BOOKS  MAY  BE  RECALLED  AFTER  7  DAYS. 

Please  return  books  early  if  they  are  not  being  used. 

DUE  AS  STAMPED  BELOW. 


DOT  3 1  2002 


12,  o  i  D: 


20M 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  BERKELEY 
Berkeley,  California  94720-6000 


O   I 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


